For many years, practitioners in the art have provided a great variety of air driven sound generating toys. Such toys have included musical instruments, noise-makers, and toys combining the sound generating process with other entertainment aspects such as movable objects or the like. To maintain the user interest in such sound generating toys, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide a variety of sounds ranging from musical notes or tones to popping or exploding sounds as well as sounds typically associated with other types of "noise-makers".
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,200,256 issued to Steiner sets forth a SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE FOR TOYS AND THE LIKE having a flexible base supporting an air driven bellows in combination with an air operated sounding reed. A plurality of check valves or one-way valves are operative to apply air pressure to the sounding reed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,610 issued to Plumbo, et al. sets forth a PNEUMATIC TOY STOVE AND ACCESSORIES in which a hollow base housing supports a movable bellows together with an inflatable balloon coupled thereto. The bellows and balloon are further coupled to a simulated teapot sitting upon the upper housing and having an air driven whistle supported therein. In operation, the bellows are manipulated to inflate the balloon and provide a source of pressurized air which is coupled to the whistle to simulate a teapot boiling over and producing a whistle sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,675 issued to Rodgers sets forth an JACK IN THE BOX SOUNDER having a drum-shaped housing within which an expandable bellows is supported. A pop-up figure is supported upon the upper end of the bellows such that the bellows are compressed when the figure is pushed into the box and expanded when the figure pops up. An air-operated sounder is arranged in a passageway inside the bellows for making a sound when air moves through the passageway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,608 issued to Horikawa sets forth a SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE which includes a movable frame and a flexible and air-tight sealed cylindrical bag enclosed therein. A bellows is extendable and compressible in an axial direction as the frame moves to compress air contained therein and release it. The compressed air is directed against a paper member which ruptures to produce the sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,338 issued to Wolf sets forth a CHILD'S TOY AND GAME having a base housing supporting a simulated flower and an air bellows. The air bellows is operatively coupled to a nozzle within the simulated flower which receives an inflatable balloon having a sounding device supported within the balloon neck. In operation, the balloon neck is sealingly received upon the nozzle within the simulated flower and inflated by the bellows operation. When sufficient pressure is formed within the balloon, the balloon breaks loose from the simulated flower and is driven about by air passing through the neck which in turn produces a whistling sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,061 issued to Fogarty, et al. sets forth a MUSICAL TOY having a plurality of identical pneumatic systems each for actuation of one of a plurality of vertically movable ornaments. Each of the pneumatic systems consists of an air manifold in fluid communication with a bellows, a whistle and a vertical tube having a piston movably positioned therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,744 issued to Kulesza sets forth a MUSICAL TOY having a base support and a vertically extending bellows. An air tube is connected to the bellows and to a musical instrument such as a harmonica or a plurality of whistles. The instruments is selectively moved relative to the outlet of air from the air tube to create a different pattern of sounds as the bellows are operated to drive air through the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,501 issued to Tanaka sets forth a MUSICAL TOY having a plurality of separately operated dolls each having flexible bellows provided with an air chamber and an outlet. Each further includes a passageway connecting the outlet of the bellows to a passageway. The various dolls are sized to produce predetermined musical notes wherein each of the dolls is provided with indicia designating the particular note.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,373 issued to Slowe, et al. sets forth a SOUNDING MECHANISM FOR TOY ANIMALS which comprises a sound housing having an air inlet chamber, an air outlet resignator chamber and an air passage interconnecting the two chambers. A pair of primary and secondary vibratory reeds are coupled together and mounted in the inlet chamber. Apparatus is provided for sucking air through the inlet chamber and forcing air outwardly through the outlet chamber in succession for initiating vibration of the reeds.
Various other air-operated toys have been provided utilizing similar air driving apparatus such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,760 issued to Birdsall, et al. which sets forth a BUBBLE BLOWING DOLL and U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,713 issued to Crosbie which sets forth a PERCOLATING BUBBLE GENERATOR as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,153 issued to Levy, et al. which sets forth a three-dimensional board game with audible sound generator and method of play having sounding game pieces which fall through air tubes.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,934 issued to Thorn, et al. sets forth a KISSING DOLL ACTUATED BY PRESSURE APPLIED TO LIP having an air bellows drive mechanism operated therein and U.S. Pat. No. 2,022,107 issued to Denivelle, et al. sets forth a DOLL HAVING A CONTROLLABLE VOICE SOUNDER operated in response to gravitational forces as the doll position is changed.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have enjoyed some success and provided some increase in amusement value, there remains nevertheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved sound generating toys.